Most of us like to be around people at some point in the day. Even those of us that are more private than others. However, what do you do when those you are around are spreading hurt, things like gossip, insults, and words that are meant to cause pain? Do you realize that these words will have an effect on you if they are not stopped? If you do, how do you stop them without causing more harm? Dr. Michael D. Sedler looks into this in Stopping Words That Hurt.

If you are hurt by someone else, the first inclination is to go tell someone else. Maybe it starts out to just be for comfort, but it will often lead to spreading what Sedler calls an evil report, something that is meant to affect that person somehow. Even if you are one that the hurt person comes to, the evil report can infect you to the point that you get the same feelings toward the other person.

If left unabated, the talk can continue on and cause greater pain for everyone involved. So, the question is, what do we do? We can’t avoid everyone, especially if we are the source of the evil report. Sedler describes different situations that lead to an evil report being spread, and how to lovingly defuse it. He stresses that silence is the same as agreeing.

He also describes how to get the words out of your heart, whether you are the source or a listener. God will cleanse you of the hurtful words (not to mention the hurt that caused them), but you have to take the step and stick with it, even if it takes longer than you think it should.

We all face people who talk about others; it might be innocent at first, but it can easily progress. It is important to stop the evil reports before they have the opportunity to infect others. I believe Sedler does a good job of giving defenses and remedies in Stopping Words That Hurt.

I think he takes a little liberty with the scripture he uses, nothing heretical, he just kind of adds a back-story or a contemporary spin to the passage to make it easier to relate to.

I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with negativity, which is pretty much everyone at some point in life. I received it from Chosen Books in exchange for reading it and reviewing it.